


fallin' into your ocean eyes

by teardropsday



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Arguing, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Freeform, Kissing, M/M, Song: Ocean Eyes (Billie Eilish), Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teardropsday/pseuds/teardropsday
Summary: to kai, love was change. love was blooming spring flowers and bitter wine all at once. it clashed, but that's what made it so wonderful.based off the song "ocean eyes" by billie eilish.
Relationships: Kai/Jay Walker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	fallin' into your ocean eyes

**Author's Note:**

> a few notes before we begin: there is a mention of a bookstore scene in the beginning, that is in reference to my last fic, to love today. you do not need to read it to understand this, basically jay and kai had a moment in a bookstore while they were out christmas shopping, now kai can't stop thinking about him. secondly, i am putting a soft TW on this for arguing, and the brief mention of blood. if you are okay with that, enjoy!

_i've been watching you for some time, can't stop staring at those ocean eyes._

maybe kai was going crazy, he supposed he'd never really know. 

he watched as a voice spoke before him. he watched lips move as each pronounced syllable met his ears, and his head and heart thrummed in unison. he tried to focus, he really did, but ever since that fateful day in the bookstore he'd never really been the same. 

the voice was jay, the pitch wavering as he spoke passionately about something unbeknownst to kai, probably a video game of the sort. 

kai observed wayward curls; locks of hair that he longed to touch. he pushed back against the fluttery feeling in his stomach, mad at himself for feeling this way. he didn't get this way. he didn't pine after people. it was such a foreign feeling, kai felt like he might be sick. 

"you even listening, kai?"

he looked up, and he met jay's strikingly blue eyes. kai opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. saying he was listening would be a lie, but he wouldn't dare tell the jay the reason for him being distracted. 

he wouldn't admit that. nope, not a chance.

"nah i wasn't, tell me again?"

jay huffed, but smiled nonetheless as he dove back into his rant. despite having told himself he'd listen, kai found his gaze flicking down to jay's lips, then back up. it happened a few times. 

kai was vividly aware when jay leaned the slightest bit forward, laughing a bit at something he himself had said. it was almost as if there was a gravitational pull dragging kai in after that, but he pushed back. no, he wouldn't kiss jay, he wouldn't let himself do that for a number of reasons. 

he leaned back after that, tuning into the words the lightning ninja was saying.

_i've never fallen from quite this high  
fallin' into your ocean eyes._

they were training this time. it was hot outside, the summer months upon most of ninjago. kai wiped the sweat from his brow before taking a battle stance again. he didn't have a weapon, but neither did his opponent. 

the air felt dry against his skin, and if it weren't for the fact that he was used to the heat, kai probably would've quit training in favor of going inside and getting a glass of water instead. across the training grounds was jay, who was much worse for wear. his hair was flat in weird angles with sweat, his shoulders heaved with every breath, and kai could see the beginning of a sunburn on his freckled shoulders. 

jay held his wrapped fists up though, and kai grinned at him. that idiot could be smart... sometimes. 

jay was the first to move, catching kai off guard as he lunged forward with a cartwheel, right before placing his palm flat on the ground and attempting to side sweep kai. kai leaped back before he could get the chance, and jay didn't think twice before coming after him again, this time opting for his fists. 

brute force usually wasn't part of jay's fighting technique. kai knew that, so it came as a surprise to him when jay's fists went flying. he didn't have time to catch them or back away properly, so when he moved the wrong direction, jay's fist collided with his jaw. 

"what the hell?" kai exclaimed, doubling over as he clutched his jaw with his palm. jay stepped away quickly, and kai swore he saw the lightning ninja's face turn five different shades of embarrassed red in a span of two seconds. 

"that wasn't supposed to hit your face!" the other replied, and kai simply groaned. 

"well it did!" kai growled, and jay took a step towards him. 

"well that's what you get for getting in the way," the glare that kai shot jay caused him to clamp his mouth shut briefly, before continuing with, "let me look at it, i'm sure it isn't that bad." 

begrudgingly, kai stood up straight and faced jay. the freckled male stepped closer to him, eyes squinted and eyebrows pinched as he gently pushed kai's hand out of the way. kai mentally noted the feeling of calloused fingers against the back of his hand. he watched as jay moved his face to the side, each touch warm and lingering on the surface of his jaw. jay brushed his thumb along the bruise forming, and a look appeared on his features kai could only describe as a pout. 

he would have laughed if it weren't for the ache. instead, he studied jay again, and the two locked eyes. kai swore he could feel jay's hand move to the back of his neck for a moment. he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. 

kai leaned in, and he could feel jay do the same as jay's warm breath dusted across his lips. 

the fire ninja mentally prepared himself for a kiss, but a voice echoing from behind them caused both him and jay to jolt. "kai, jay, come check this out!" 

kai turned around and saw that it was nya waving them over, and zane stood alongside her. 

kai felt jay's hand pat his bruised cheek ever so gently before jay brushed past him muttering, "the punch wasn't even that hard, don't be a baby in front of everyone, 'kay?" 

kai visibly fumed, and all jay could do was laugh.

_you really know how to make me cry_   
_when you gimme those ocean eyes._

"jay seriously, could you be a little bit more careful? you knew what sort of trouble you were getting yourself into back there, and you still did it! what were you thinking?"

another day, another peril in ninjago.

"will you stop lecturing me like i'm some kid? seriously kai, i do not need this right now." jay clutched his arm, his voice wavering an octave higher as he spoke. kai glanced down and could see the blood staining through his gi, and he grit his teeth. 

"well what else am i supposed to say? hey, good job for putting yourself in danger for the sake of being the hero of the day?" kai asked, a sarcastic lilt in his tone. 

"it's not like that, quit trying to act like you know me." jay bit back, and the words stung kai in the heart. given the heat of the moment, it only fueled his aggression. 

"quit acting like i know you? jay, for fucks sake, we've known each other for years. don't play pretend, don't act like i haven't noticed you changing. i want to understand what's going on, please." kai's voice dropped with something close to desperation, and jay's head shot up from looking at the ground beneath them. kai read his expression as surprised, but also sad and angry. he knew that jay was about to say something he didn't mean, he could feel it. 

"i don't care." 

kai was quick to react, with a just as firm response. "fine." he grit his teeth. jay watched as kai rummaged through a nearby box, before pulling out a smaller one. jay recognized it as a first aid kit by the red cross on the top. kai clicked open the box, and began to search through the supplies quietly. 

too emotionally exhausted to argue, jay shrugged off the top half of his gi, hissing in pain as he pulled the fabric off his arm. the air felt cold, even through his tank top. the tension in the air still felt thick, as if they were both challenging the other to see who would give up and speak first. thankfully, as the seconds ticked by, the flaming anger dissipated into embers. 

kai faced jay and wordlessly began to clean the other's wound. jay grimaced, but kai ignored it and held his arm in place with a gentle and still hand. 

"i-" both started at once. 

they both paused, and kai was about to attempt to speak again when suddenly jay began to cry. the blue ninja leaned forward, his forehead against kai's shoulder blade as he sobbed quietly. 

kai's fingers weaved through jay's hair on the back of his head as he supported the other's weight against him. "i'm sorry, i didn't mean that. i'm so sorry." jay sniffled, shoulders quivering with every breath. 

"it's okay, i forgive you." the soft-spoken words caused jay to stifle another broken sob, and kai only held him closer.

that's all he could think to do in the moment, and jay hugged him back tighter.

_i've never fallen from quite this high_   
_fallin' into your ocean eyes_

if there was one thing that kai had noticed as he got older, it was that media tainted the idea of love. all across the city and online, there was an agenda that love was made out to be. kai learned otherwise though. love was a messy, sometimes ugly, strange, yet beautiful thing all on it's own. sometimes, to love meant to hurt, but it also meant forgiveness. to kai, love was change. love was blooming spring flowers and bitter wine all at once. it clashed, but that's what it made it so _wonderful._

they painted love as magical thing, and it truly could be at times, but it could also be something as mundane as waking up, walking into the kitchen, and seeing your best friend making scrambled eggs in their pajamas.

kai watched, both in amusement and awe, as jay stood at the stove front, humming a song to himself. he appeared to be completely oblivious to kai being there.

"i love you." kai blurted out. so much for subtlety. 

jay jolted, and turned around. his eyes were wide, as if he thought he hadn't heard kai properly. "huh?"

kai took a deep breath. "i love you." he said, firm this time. 

there was no hesitation, it was a question and an answer within an instant. jay stepped towards kai and the fire ninja's hands almost instinctively went to the sides of jay's face. the last thing he saw before closing his eyes and leaning in to capture his lips in a kiss was glittering blue eyes. 

jay pulled apart from him to mutter a breathless "i love you too" before their lips met again.

jay gripped kai's shoulders to stabilize himself as they kissed. kai could feel the other leaning into him, and his hands moved down from jay's face to his sides. 

all they had been through, all of the pain, had led to this moment. this moment of serenity. 

_those ocean eyes._


End file.
